"تاريخ الحرب الكبرى استنادًا إلى وثائق رسمية: العمليات في بلاد فارس ١٩١٤-١٩١٩" [و‎‎١‎٩‎٠] (٥٦٦/٣٨٤)

THE CRISIS OVER
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Next day, however, Sir Percy Sykes telegraphed that orders,
issued the previous day in the city by mullahs and Democrats
to plunder the houses and property of the South Persia Rifles
and of all civilians who had worked for the British, had in
several cases been carried out, with the result that Persian
ranks of the South Persia Rifles had become infuriated with
the populace and that Farman Farma had concurred in the
necessity for military measures in the city. Consequently,
during the night, key positions there had been occupied by
detachments of the South Persia Rifles ; and early on the 18th,
a company of Indian infantry had occupied the south-west
gate—the eastern portion of the city having been already
occupied by Qawam’s Arabs—and about twelve of the most
prominent Democrat agitators had been arrested.
The tranquillising effect of these measures was immediate and,
although the telegraph line was cut on the 19th and was not
restored for some weeks, this did not matter much as the crisis
was really over. The losses suffered by the tribesmen in the
fight on the 16th had not only upset Saulat’s plan to attack on
the 17th June, but had so discouraged him that he was afraid
to think of another attack. In the city a sudden reaction set
in and, recalling their sufferings from the loss of their water
supply, the populace began freely to revile Saulat and the
tribesmen.
To obviate the chance of the enemy obtaining even a slight
success at a time when the tide was turning against him, the
garrison was withdrawn from Afifabad on the 20th June ; and
though it was occupied by Kazerunis on the 21st, they were
promptly shelled out of it next day.
The tasks for which British troops in North-West Persia had British
jdi» been asked for by Sir Charles Marling and General Dunsterville P ohc y;
wko W had recently so multiplied that the War Office found it necessary June ^ 918 .
1 #; on the 22nd June to instruct the British military attache at
steW Tehran to explain, to Sir Charles Marling, the technical diffi-
lin 011 1 ’ culties of maintaining and supplying forces there,
werefc On the 24th June the Eastern Committee of the War Cabinet
and 5^ h a d a long discussion on the situation in Persia. A policy of
tor# conciliation, as advocated by India, and of giving up the South
G oV er# Persia Rifles was tempting. But it had obvious disadvantages.
[reads'"i . or ^ was impossible for Persia to pay the force if we handed
0 tl?! ^ over or to guarantee its good conduct if we relinquished
control. The possibility of forming an alliance with Persia
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